New York Mets beat Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 as Jeremy Hefner shows command - MLB Update
The New York Mets fetch nine hits from starter Joe Blanton and deliver a 6-3 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field, New York, NY, on May 29, 2012, in second game of the three match series.
Blanton, unlike a typical Phillies starter, was scratched after just five innings. Seen in the context of six runs that included two home-runs he gave up, doing so was indispensable for the side.
He will be ruing the way he dithered on the mound and how he never got his throws right on target.
Phillies can take heart from the fact that relievers put up great resistance and did not allow the Mets any more runs. However, in light of the outcome of the game, their effort ended up being futile.
The game was kind of opposite of the reputation both teams own in terms of their pitchers.
Mets’ rotation is no way comparable to the Phillies and latter boasts the most dependable pitchers in baseball. Yet, Jeremy Hefner, the Mets’ starter was far better than Blanton.
Hefner threw six innings and struck-out four, while conceding three runs. Exploiting loopholes in the Phillies’ offence, he took the opportunity to improve his ERA in the season.
The Mets drew equally great performance from their relievers.
Relief pitcher, Frank Francisco keeps his ideal run of form afloat. With two strike-outs in one scoreless inning, he registered 14th save of the season.
He stepped on the mound at a relatively easier time. The lead was substantial and the Phillies were short of power to launch a dramatic comeback. He just went there and kept any resistance from coming about.
Finally, third-baseman David Wright managed a hit in the game, after experiencing a drought in the last few games and taking batting average to below .400 as a result.
Though, his average went down further, one can imagine, as he connected one hit in the game, he is going to follow it with many of those in forthcoming games.
Getting pitchers show command and throw reasonable number of innings is a healthy sign for the Mets.
This is an area they are most likely to be betrayed by, as the season enters a critical phase.
Therefore, manager Terry Collins will be looking to make sure all the bugs and flaws are worked-out before an occurrence of anything undesirable.
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